Catalyzed by Rhodococcus erythropolis AJ270, an amidase-containing microbial whole cell catalyst in neutral phosphate buffer at 30 °C, a number of prochiral α-substituted α-aminomalonamides underwent highly efficient and enantioselective hydrolytic desymmetrization to afford functionalized α-tetrasubstituted α-amino acids in 74-98% chemical yields and 94.0 to >99.5% ee. The presence of a free α-amino (NH(2)) substituent in the substrates was deemed important to ensure high biocatalytic efficiency and enantioselectivity. The synthetic application of biocatalytic desymmetrization was demonstrated by practical chemical transformations of (R)-2-amino-2-carbamoylpent-4-enoic acid to α-substituted serine analogues and a bioactive diamino alcohol derivative.